Copyright Statement

Copyright 2007 Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

The written histories of Queensland architecture build a case for a Climatically
responsive architecture oriented to the exigencies of place. Predominantly
derived from the consideration of domestic and vernacular traditions this ideal of
climatic responsiveness is often positioned as a romantic expression of
Queensland identity. However, climate rarely bears upon the determination of
heritage significance in Queensland's nineteenth century architecture. Even
beyond the legislated criteria , for assessment, climatic responsiveness does not
appear within an extensive range of thematic categories nominated by the
Queensland Department of Cultural Heritage for the groupings of registered
buildings.
In the nineteenth century, climatic conditions were frequently invoked as a source
for the planning and arrangement of buildings, stylistic choice, the composition of
masses, choice of materials, colour, and the modelling of surface ornament. Yet
responses to the exigencies of tropical climates were also seen as having the
potential to undermine the nineteenth century ideal of 'appropriateness',
particularly in the design of civic buildings.
This paper uses empirical research to examine the consideration of climate in
mid to late nineteenth century Queensland architecture. It queries the basis of the
romantic ideal of a tradition of climatic Queensland architecture, as well as a
potential oversight in the processes of heritage assessment, where innovative
responses to climate are not being considered.